11:55am: The first-round pick acquired by the Hawks in the swap will be top-10 protected in 2019 and 2020, tweets Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com. If it falls in the top 10 in both of those years, it will convert to second-round picks for 2021 and 2022, though that seems unlikely.

According to Bobby Marks of The Vertical (Twitter link), Atlanta also received cash from Cleveland in the deal — roughly enough to cover the $1.2MM left on Williams’ contract. The Cavs were eligible to include up to $1.5MM in a trade.

In Korver, the Cavs will acquire one of the NBA’s best long-distance shooter, who has a career 42.9% mark on three-point attempts. Just two years removed from an All-Star nod, the 35-year-old is averaging 9.5 PPG in 32 contests for the Hawks this season, with a .441/.409/.889 shooting line. Korver will provide Cleveland with some additional outside shooting over the next several months while J.R. Smithis sidelined, and will be another scoring threat for the club in the postseason.

By moving both Dunleavy and Williams in the deal and taking only Korver back in return, the Cavs will open up a spot on their 15-man roster, allowing the team to sign, claim, or trade for another player. There’s no rush for Cleveland to fill that opening, but with Smith expected to be out until March, and Chris Andersen out for the season, the team will be keeping an eye open for depth options.

That roster spot could ultimately be used on a point guard, as the Cavs have been lacking a reliable veteran option since the start of the season. LeBron James has suggested multipletimes this week that he’d like to see the team address the position, and there’s no shortage of veteran options on the market, including Mario Chalmers, Jarrett Jack, and Norris Cole.

As for Atlanta, the team has been rumored to be shopping all their veteran players on expiring contracts, a group that included Korver. Now that the club has made one move, there’s a good chance others will follow. Thabo Sefolosha, Tiago Splitter, Kris Humphries, and – of course – Paul Millsap remain on the block for the Hawks.

From a salary cap and CBA perspective, the trade is an interesting one. The Cavaliers had a $9.6MM trade exception available that they could have used to comfortably absorb Korver’s salary, but the team doesn’t necessarily have to use it. Taxpaying teams like the Cavs can acquire up to 125% of the salary they send out in a trade, so Dunleavy’s $4.8MM+ salary is enough to take back Korver, who is earning about $5.2MM.

If Cleveland completed the trade that way, the team would hang onto its big $9.6MM traded player exception, which expires next month, and create a new TPE worth Williams’ salary ($2.19MM). Alternately, using that $9.6MM TPE to take on Korver, and creating new TPEs worth Dunleavy’s salary and Williams’ salary is another possibility for Cleveland. Trade exceptions created today wouldn’t expire until January 2018.

It’s also worth noting that the Cavs needed to first complete a separate trade before this deal could be finalized. Because the Ted Stepien Rule prevents NBA teams from trading consecutive future first-round picks, and Cleveland had already sent its 2018 selection to Portland, the Cavs had to get that ’18 first-rounder back, sending out their 2017 first-round pick instead. That allowed the club to move its 2019 pick in its deal with Atlanta.

The Cavs’ decision to hang onto Williams even after he had announced his retirement paid off as well. Cleveland was able to attach him to this deal, reducing the team’s tax bill and creating an open roster spot. The Hawks, who waived Ryan Kelly this week to create room to complete a two-for-one deal, will likely waive the veteran point guard at some point and eat his salary.

14 thoughts on “Cavaliers Acquire Kyle Korver From Hawks”

He never officially retired, he said he was going to, signed the 2mil guaranteed contract, complained that Noone cared about his health and went and had knee surgery. Hasn’t shown up to anything and basically just sitting at home collecting his money.

This trade makes no sense for Atlanta. They literally got nothing out of this deal. Yet another head scratcher in favor of LeBrat. The eastern conference is essentially a minor league system for whatever team LeBrat is on. Smh

Heavily protected first round pick. Now Lebron also wants them to sign a point guard. Wonder if he would make any of those signings if he was the owner. Probably won’t ever find out though since he wouldn’t want to take the chance of having a spoiled player such as himself on the team.

Someone ask Bud how does this make us better? Isn’t that supposed to be our goal? And not help our #1 enemy get better! Why as a fan, would you want to support a team like that. As a player what kind of confidence do you have in your organization that isn’t trying to get better?

It’s called rebuilding. Horford left, Millsap is leaving, Korver was going to leave, and you traded Teague. You got a first round pick. It’s a good trade. Dunleavy isn’t half bad anyway. Rebuilding sucks, but it happens. But I’m a Celtics fan, and Billy King made it a whole lot better. Too bad he’s no longer a GM…

Listen guys I’m a true Hawks fan! The last two seasons my Hawks where not good enough to beat the Cavs and that hasn’t and wasn’t going to change. The call was actually heavily considered to rebuild at the dead line last year, then Bud got fooled by Horford’s ” I really want to stay in Atlanta ” speach. The problem with having a coach that’s also the GM is not wanting to go through the rebuild. It doesn’t matter how much you hate LBJ, they got a 1rst in what is looking like a loaded draft in 19′. The 18 and 19 drafts are both said to be loaded. So who cares if it helps the Cavs in the short term, it helps us in the long and we need to play long ball as the only Major FA that considered us and that was after his sun had diminished was DH. So kudos to bud for rebuilding before he had to. Even if I think it came one season to late.

If the picks are anything like the one they originally gave Portland then it will be top 10 protected and do you see any reason why they would not be a top 3 team in the league next year so the pick will be late and a gamble with whoever is taken. When you look at the fact they would prefer to trade the rest of the players available to the West it makes it look like this was fixed. As a manager I wouldn’t of done any favours for Cleveland by taking Williams contract off them.

Not so…. The pick comes after the year LBJ can opt out. I don’t think he will, but it’s an educated gambel. Do it could very well fall in that 10 to 20 range if he opts out. If not you get a late first for a guy that was gone after the season. It was a decent trade, we weren’t beating the Cavs as constructed.